Calke Abbey was in a state of crumbling grandeur when it was purchased by the National Trust in 1985. Successive generations of the Harpur Crewe family either refused or could not afford to modernise the house. The National Trust made the decision to keep it as it was, rather than try to renovate it.
Hard times for the Harpur Crewe Family
Many similar houses had already been demolished to pay death duties by the time Calke House was acquired for the Nation. Death duties and the rising cost of labour meant that such estates could no longer be sustained.
Calke house was acquired "lock, stock and barrel" complete with extensive collections of taxidermy, minerals, butterflies, fossils and bric a brac. In the entrance hall, the mounted heads of highland cattle and sheep from the estate stare down at visitors as they begin their tour.
Saving House & Contents
The reception rooms are furnished just as they were on the day when the house was shut up by the reclusive Charles Harpur Crewe . This was part of the deal he negotiated with HM Inspector of Taxes as a way of paying off death duties of £8 million, plus mounting interest charges of £1,500 per day.
It was Chancellor Nigel Lawson, on behalf of Margaret Thatcher's government, who announced that both property and contents would be accepted by the Treasury in exchange for the whole amount of tax liability. The happy result is that both house and contents stayed together.
The Collections
The walls of Calke House display a wonderful collection of art. Handsome portraits of many generations of Harpur Crewes stare benevolently down on the visitor, including that of tragic Richard Harpur Crewe who would have succeeded Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe, had he not died at the age of 40 from tuberculosis.
The library retains a large collection of antiquarian books, although many of the best ones had to be sold off at the death of Sir Vauncey in 1924, along with other artefacts, in order to pay death duties.
Just left for the night?
The stable yard looks as if the men have left for the night. In the smithy the anvil stands ready and the fire looks like it has only just gone out. In the tack room, girths hang from pegs on the wall and feed buckets wait for a fill of grain. Riding boots stand in front of the fireplace ready for their owner to don them.
In dusty garages we can still make out the ancient fire engine, a brougham carriage and a hay wagon that are just begging for a horse to be hitched up to them to bring them back to life. We can imagine the gaitered stable lads leading the horses across the yard, metal shod hooves ringing on the hard cobble stones.
Clever Conservation
This whole air of faded gentility is testimony to the clever conservation that is practised at Calke. Instead of renewing such artefacts, methods have been devised to prolong their existence whilst maintaining their original shabbiness.
For example, metal objects like the stable feed buckets are carefully brushed to remove corrosion and then a seal of wax is applied. This technique has successfully created a ‘Time Capsule’ feeling that adds to the romance and nostalgia of the visit.
References:
Calke Abbey, National Trust Official Guide, ISBN 078-1-94359-036-1
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
